Vivid Stage Gala to Honor Susan Permahos

Vivid Stage, formerly Dreamcatcher Repertory Theatre, in residence at Oakes Center at 120 Morris Avenue in Summit, is holding a Backyard BBQ Bash on May 7, 2022 at a private home in Watchung, NJ. As part of this special fundraising event, the theatre will honor retiring director of the Summit Public Library, Susan Permahos, for her contributions to the arts and culture in Summit.

Permahos has been the Library's director for the past nine years. During her tenure, she initiated significant changes by increasing Library services, such as notary services, intellectually and culturally focused lectures, ESL classes, computer workshops, a monthly series of diverse concerts, an annual 'Shakespeare in the Park' theatrical performance, an annual Chinese New Year celebration, and many others.

In addition, a 'Friends of the Library' group -- which has successfully raised thousands of dollars for Library resources -- and a Library Foundation were reestablished through her efforts. Permahos' creative vision to reconfigure the interior space of the facility has enabled the library to expand the space for community functions.

Vivid Stage, Summit's professional theatre company, has been in residence at the Oakes Center in Summit for ten years. As part of the celebration, the ensemble will entertain the guests with songs and scenes on a country theme. The evening, which begins at 6:00 pm, will include unlimited drinks and appetizers, a catered buffet dinner, coffee and dessert.

Funds raised at this event will help Vivid Stage maintain its tradition of excellence in arts programming. In addition to our regular season of mainstage productions, cabaret, improv and new play readings, we provide outreach and education programs for students and seniors, as well as internship opportunities for college students and young professionals. Providing a creative home for New Jersey artists is primary among our goals, as is cultivating the relationship between artists and audiences throughout the season.

Tickets for the entire evening are $120 until April 15 and $135 afterwards. Tickets can be purchased in advance at www.vividstage.org.

About Vivid Stage:

Vivid Stage was founded in 1994 as Dreamcatcher Rep, and is a non-profit professional ensemble of actors who build community with the audience by sharing contemporary, life-affirming stories that challenge, energize and entertain. Our work has at its heart a belief in the essential goodness of people and the power of live performance to connect people through our shared humanity. We expose theatregoers to ideas and lives like and unlike their own with the intention of awakening their imaginations and creating empathy for others. We deepen the experience of all our patrons with personal contact through receptions, talkbacks, and interactive programs.

The company's activities include mainstage productions, improvisational comedy and cabarets, new play readings and a variety of educational and senior outreach programs.

Vivid Stage's programs are funded by the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a Partner Agency of the National Endowment for the Arts, the Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and many other corporations, foundations and individuals. Vivid Stage is an Equity Producing member of the New Jersey Theatre Alliance.

Vivid Stage, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) corporation, incorporated under the laws of the State of New Jersey.